Climate security cannot ignore the military

The author contends that the military-industrial complex operates with a level of impunity that allows it to bypass environmental regulations and the polluter-pays principle. While the military frames climate change as a 'threat multiplier' to justify budget increases, the document asserts that militarisation is fundamentally incompatible with a decarbonised economy. It calls for a 'manifesto for military degrowth,' including a moratorium on arms races and the suspension of energy-intensive 'force projection' to mitigate climatic disruption.

• The military-industrial complex has historically avoided environmental accountability, specifically through exemptions in international agreements. During the 1992 Kyoto Protocol negotiations, the US secured a clause ensuring its global military operations were "completely exempt from any reductions obligation".
• The US Pentagon is a massive emitter of greenhouse gases, producing more than the nations of Sweden or Portugal. Approximately 70% of its energy use is attributed to the movement and use of weapons and troops.
• Military institutions use the concept of climate change as a 'threat multiplier' to justify increasing budgets rather than reducing emissions. EU states account for 25% of global defence spending, and one third of global arms production is European.
• The author asserts that a decarbonised economy is impossible while maintaining current levels of militarisation, noting that military aviation alone accounts for 25% of global kerosene consumption.

APA

Cramer, B. (2020). Climate security cannot ignore the military. Green European Journal. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/climate-security-cannot-ignore-the-military/

Chicago

Cramer, Ben. Climate security cannot ignore the military. Green European Journal, 2020. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/climate-security-cannot-ignore-the-military/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Cramer |first1=Ben |title=Climate security cannot ignore the military |publisher=Green European Journal |date=7 April 2020 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/climate-security-cannot-ignore-the-military/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{cramer2020climate, author = {Cramer, Ben}, title = {{Climate security cannot ignore the military}}, publisher = {Green European Journal}, year = {2020}, month = apr, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/climate-security-cannot-ignore-the-military/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }